The subject of this application relates to the field of equestrian equipment, and more particularly to a stirrup arrangement which permits the horseman to more safely and easily mount, ride and dismount a horse, or other rideable animal.
Traditionally, stirrups form parts of conventional horse mounting equipment and may be positioned on one or both sides of the saddle. Stirrups are designed not only to assist the rider in mounting, but also in maintaining balance during riding, and when dismounting.
For safety while riding, the bottom, foot resting, portion of the stirrup is generally located at a level where the rider's feet are comfortably engaged when the rider is in the saddle. Depending upon the height of the horse and the leg length of the rider, this may result in the stirrup being too high for the rider to easily engage for mounting the horse. Riders often attempt to overcome this difficulty by searching for something to stand on, or having another person physically assist them. Appropriate items, or persons, are often not available.
Another possibility is adjusting the stirrup to a lower than functional level for mounting, however, this presents the additional problem of readjusting the stirrup when the rider is sitting in the saddle. Even a highly experienced rider is dangerously exposed to an accident while trying to perform this maneuver. When the rider, in the saddle, attempts to reach down for drawing up the stirrup, the required leaning to one side can lead to a fall. Using traditional stirrups, the only safe way to adjust the height is to have another person, one who is dismounted, adjust them for the rider.
In the alternative, a rider may attempt to climb upon an object such as a bucket or ladder to reach the stirrup, but this also can lead to injury caused by the instability of the object or the animal moving at a critical time.